Clamp for textile fabrics.



No. 646,244. Patented Mar. 27, 1900 C. L. WEICHELT. -v CLAMP FDR TEXTILEFABRICS.

(Applicaition filed Aug. 11, 1899.)

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No. 646,244. Patented Mar. 27, I900. c. L. WEICHELT. CLAMP FORYTEXTILEFABRICS.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets8heot 2.

(No Mode I UNITED STATES A PATE T QEFIcE.

CHARLES L. WElOI-IELT, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMP FOR TEXTILE FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,244, dated March27, 1900.

A Application filed August 11, 1899. Serial No. 726,951. (No modeli) Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. VVEIOHELT, a citizen of theUnitedSt-ates, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia,Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Clamps for. Textile Fabrics, of which the following isaspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in textile machinery; and theobject of my invention is to furnish a clamp to be carried by theconveyor of a tentering-machine which will automaticallyengage and holdthe fabric passing through the machine positively and securely at apredetermined distance from its selvage edge. V I r My inventionconsists of a substantially U shaped arm carried by the conveyer, to theupper part of which is pivoted a movable clamp or jaw, the outer loweredge of which is adapted to engage the fabric and hold it againstthetable carried by-the lower partof the arm and of a finger or triggerpivoted between its two ends to an arm carried by'and projectinginwardly from themovable clamp or jaw and at its upper end to a linkwhich is pivotally carried by the upper part of the U-shaped arm. Thelower end of thistrigger is adapted to engage the fabricand to besupported thereby until the fabric is drawn away from it, when it fallsthrough a slot or openingin the table,at which instant the mov-' ableclamp or jaw, which until this time has been supported by the trigger,falls and engages the fabric at a point'immediately inside its selvageedge. The movable clamp or jaw upon being released by the trigger orfinger may fall by its own weight and engage the fabric, or its fallingmay be made more positive by the aid of a spring or springs suitably andconveniently located for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved clamp; Fig. 2, a sideelevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, asection of Fig. l on line A B; Fig. 4:, afront elevation of Fig. 1, the clamp 0 being closed against the table m;Fig. 5, a similar view, the clamp 0 being canted to one side.

by the'upper outer ends of arms I) or by a frame r, pivoted to thesearms. o v

e is an upward extension forming part of clamp or jaw 0, adapted to beoperated by a cam carried by the tentering machine'frame (not shown) inthe'usual well-known manner.

fis a foot or ledge formed on the lower end I of clamp or jaw c, theunder part of which is preferably concaved, as shown at g, Figs. 2 and3.

h is an arm carried by and projecting back ward from 'clampor jaw c, andz'a finger or trigger pivoted at j toarm hand at its upper end to thelower end of a link 75, the upper end of which is pivotedto a stud orshaftfl, which is carried by armsb.

m is a table forming partof or carried by I the lower ends of arms 19;n, a slot in this table through which the lower ends of trigger deanpass, as presently described; 0, springs for quickly and positivelycausing clamp .or jaw' c to fall when released, and 19, Figs. 2 and 3,

the fabric to be engaged and held by the clamp or jaw.

The conveyors are arranged as usual, one

upon each side of the machine, and each link is I furnished with aclamp. As the clamps come to the front of the machine they are opened inthe usual manner and the fabric to be operated upon is fed in, restingupon the tops of the tables m. At the proper time the clamp is releasedin the usual manner and falls. The trigger 'i now engages the top of thefabric 19, as shown in Fig. 2, and holds the clamp or jaw 0 clear of thefabric. As the conveyers advance through the machine the fabric isgradually drawn toward the outer edge of table m and presently is drawnfrom under trigger 1 which then falls through slot at in the table m.This releases the clamp 'or jaw c, which falls, its outer edge engagingthe fabric along a line parallel and close to its edge, as shown.

j that would ever occur.

As has before been stated, the clamp or jaw c is preferably slightlyconcaved along its lower side, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3. It engages thefabric only along its outer edge, and the greater the tension upon thefabric the tighter will the grip be.

The L-shaped form of the lower side of the jaw prevents the curling upof the edge of the fabric while in the grip of the jaw. This L-shapedportion or foot of the movable jaw may extend continuously the wholelength of the jaw, as shown. It may extend only along part of thelengthof the jaw, or it mayextend brokenly along the jaw.

The construction of the device is such that the trigger bears verylightly on the materialso lightly, in fact, that it will not mark or marthe most delicatefabric. At the same time it positively holds the jaw aclear until the trigger has been tripped, as described.

The jaw engages the fabric almost at its very edge, and consequentlythere is no loss of fabric by theuse of the device.

, The pivot or shaft d, upon which the clamp o iscarried, may be carrieddirectlyby the arms I), but on account of thedifficulty of getting theshaft perfectly parallelwith the table m and on account of thediificulty of making the lower edge of the clamp c engage this tablethroughout its entire length I prefer to support the shaft in a frame0", which is pivotally secured to the arms I) by a screw or pivot s.This construction permits the clamp 0 when moved backward to swingeither to the right or left. In Fig. 5 it is shown swingingto the left,but when it is dropped its entire lower edge engages the table m orthe'fabric carried thereby. This construction is also useful in enablingthe lower edge of the clamp to engage a fabric of unequal thicknessfirmly and along its entire length, as the clamp will adjust itself tothe fabric.

In Fig. 5 the clamp is swung over much more than would ever occur inpractice where a movement of one-eighth of an inch more or less would beabout the greatest movement This movement would not be suficient tocause the trigger, levers, &c., connected with the clamps to bind, asthey are loosely carried by their supporting and connecting pivot-s.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a clamp for textile fabrics, in combination, amovable clamp or jaw, a table furnished with a slot as described, an armcarried by the movable jaw, a trigger pivoted between its ends to saidarm, a link the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper end of saidtrigger and the upper end of which is pivoted to a fixed point.

2. In a clamp for textile fabrics, in combination, a movable clamp orjaw, a table furnished with a slot as described, anarm car: ried by themovable jaw, atrigger pivoted between its ends to said arm, a link thelower end of which is pivoted to the upper end of said trigger and theupper-fend of which is pivoted to'a fixed point, and a spring fornormall y throwing said clamp or jaw downward.

3. In a clamp for textile fabrics, in combination, an arm havingsubstantially a U shape, a movable clamp or jaw pivoted to-the upperportion of said arm, a table carried by or forming part of the lowerpart of said arm and furnished with a slot as described, an arm carriedby the movable jaw, a'triggerpiv oted between its ends to said arm, anda link the lower end of which is pivoted to the up-- per end of saidtrigger and the upper end of which is pivoted to a shaft or stud carriedby the upper portion of said U-shaped arm.

4. In a clamp for textile fabrics, incombi nation, a movable jawfurnished with a projecting arm, astatiouary arm. to which said jaw ispivoted, a trigger pivot-ed at or near its center to said projectingarm, and a link the upper end of which is pivoted to said stationary armand the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper-end of said trigger.

5. A movable jawfor engaging and holding a fabric ina tentering-machinethe lower end of which is L-shaped and concaved on its bottomsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth; l

6. In a clamp for textile fabrics, in combination, an arm havingsubstantially a U shape, a table carriedby or forming part of the lowerpart of said arm, a frame pivotally secured to the upper part of saidarm, and a movable clamp or jaw pivotally carried on said frame.

CHARLES J. GADD, WM. R. WEBSTER.

ICO

